Mystery Photo No. 33: Rock, rail photographs create a real mystery

Mystery Photo 33, No. 1

Mystery Photo 33, No. 2

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Although this photo was probably taken more than 100 years ago, it’s likely the boulder upon which these two women are seated still exists.

This image was made from one of six glass negatives preserved in the Observer-Reporter’s archives that show a family of four generations picnicking along a stream. One of the photos was reproduced in “200 Years: Our History Through the Pages of the Observer-Reporter,” published in 2008, and the stream was identified as Ten Mile Creek. We have reason to believe that might well be a false assumption.

We are hoping our readers can identify the body of water and the location of the enormous rock. A clue might be found in one of the other of that group of photos we’ve printed here: two of the children on the family picnic are playing on a coal car, so a mine must have been nearby.

A real bonus would be to learn the identity of the family.

If you have any idea where these photos were taken, email Park Burroughs, retired executive editor, at pburroughs@observer-reporter.com, or call and leave a message for him along with your telephone number at 724-222-2200, extension 2400.

We’ll share with our readers the results of this week’s Mystery Photo in next Monday’s newspaper.